


Being Right Sucks Sometimes

by Actual_Writing_Trashcan



Series: Colossus Hyperfixation Collection [2]
Category: Deadpool (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Description of Injuries, F/M, Fight Scene, Guns, Misogyny, Strong Language, What Did You Expect, and so the hyperfixation continues, colossus is a marshmallow who is very loved, i mean it's wade, mentions of abduction, scott is a pain in the ass, the reader is a badass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 10:25:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15362469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Actual_Writing_Trashcan/pseuds/Actual_Writing_Trashcan
Summary: Set in the same "universe" as Authority Issues.The reader gets worried when Colossus goes off on a mission to investigate the disappearances of mutants in a nearby town --then goes looking for him when he fails to come back to the X-Mansion on time.





	Being Right Sucks Sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> Again, most of the Russian used is terms of endearment (love, darling, etc).
> 
> Myshka: little mouse (term of endearment).  
> Bozhe moi: Oh god/my god.
> 
> All warnings in the tags.

Let the record show that you were, in fact, right.

Hey, it’s been a shitty couple of days. You have to take what consolation you can get.

Of course, none of this makes sense at the moment. Don’t worry. It will by the end.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“No, it needs to be more to the left. We’ll miss him with the way it’s currently sitting!”

“Trust me, second-to-last Airbender, I double checked my calculations. This is exactly how the sprinkler head needs to be positioned to smack him right upside the head.”

You pick up Wade’s ‘calculation sheet,’ which was lovingly done up in crayon and decorated with scribbled pictures of unicorns. “Right. The lovely prancing death ponies really add to the credibility of that statement.”

“I’ll have you know I passed second grade math with flying colors.”

“Wow. That’s a fucking miracle in and of itself.”

“Look, will you just trust me? I have a Master’s in Irritation and a PhD in being an Asshole. I know what I’m doing.”

You contemplate his request for a moment before giving your answer. “If this fails, you owe me pizza.”

“Deal. Now, good ol’ Googly Eyes of Death is due any minute, so we need to make like a banana and split.”

You roll your eyes as you grab him by the arm and use your powers to levitate the two of you into the tree you’d been kneeling under. “Really? ‘Make like a banana and split?’”

“Hey, that’s a classic!”

You lift your finger to your lips. “Shut up! He’s coming!”

Scott Summers, resident pain in the ass at the X-Mansion, walks up the main drive.

Well, “walks” might be putting it mildly.

“Gosh, does he never stop doing the ‘badass superhero walk?’” Wade gripes under his breath. “He looks like a douchepickle.”

You fake a gag as Scott runs a hand through his hair, model-esque and grossly narcissistic. “I think he polished his sunglasses. They’re glinting more than usual.”

“God, what a tool.”

You grin at Wade. “It’s such a good thing we’re here to keep his feet on the ground.”

Wade nods, completely serious. “And he should be stopping in about three... two... one...”

Right on cue, Scott stops and stares at the ‘distraction picture’ Wade had glued to the drive.

You stifle a snicker as Scott lets out a distinct and embarrassingly loud “What the fuck?” “Man, what did you put out there?”

“Internet fan art porn of Jean and Logan.”

You almost fall out of the tree, you’re laughing so hard. “That’s awesome!”

“Oh, ladies and gentlemen,” Wade narrates under his breath as Scott picks up the obscene picture and starts tearing it apart. “It’s about to get wet in here.”

The dozens of sprinklers in range of the drive all come on at once, perfectly aimed at Scott.

The man in question lets out a shriek as numerous jets of ice cold and none too gentle water smack him in the face.

You and Wade are simultaneously clutching to the tree to keep from plummeting to the ground and clutching at yourselves to try and stifle your victorious crows of laughter.

It’s perfect. Too perfect. Scott is soaked within seconds, head to toe, air of sophistication and power whisked away by his cat-like screeches.

You’re reveling in the sweet taste of victory when the tell-tale thuds of your boyfriend’s heavy footsteps start shaking the tree you’re hiding in.

“Shit!” Wade hisses. “We’re busted!”

“Shut up! We hid for a reason!”

Piotr stops directly under the tree, watches Scott for a moment, then tilts his head back.

You look down at him and press finger to your lips. A silent plea.

The corner of his mouth turns up in a smile, he shakes his head, and simply goes back to watching the spectacle of your and Wade’s glorious handiwork.

After a few minutes, the sprinklers shut off, leaving Scott soaked to the bone and madder than a wet hen.

Through the gaps in the leaves, you can see the small crowd that’s gathered at the front of the mansion to watch the glorious display. 

Logan’s doubled over with laughter, howling as he clutches at his stomach.

Ellie, Yukio, and Russel are all recording Scott’s plight on their phones in various states of amusement.

Jean, who’s making a valiant effort at disguising her humor, has a towel in hand as she watches her boyfriend.

Scott storms inside, still dripping as he yanks the towel out of Jean’s hand.

Eventually, the crowd dissipates.

Wade heaves a sigh of relief. “Man, there are some real upsides to you getting dicked down by the Tin Man’s beefier, communist cousin.”

For that, you kick Wade out of the tree, relishing the thud as he smacks --face first--into a branch before dropping to the ground on his back. “Hey, babe,” you call out to Colossus as you start climbing down from your perch. “Thanks for not ratting us out.” Before you can jump to the ground, a set of massive metal hands pluck you off the tree, making you squeak.

“Why do you insist on tormenting Cyclops,  _myshka_?” Piotr asks as he holds you to his chest.

“Because he’s an ass.”

“He does the ‘badass superhero walk’ for no reason!” Wade shouts when Colossus raises an eyebrow at you. “If not for us, his head would’ve exploded a long time ago!”

“Come on, babe, you know he’s been on a ego trip since the Prof promoted him.”

Piotr merely sighs and places you gently on the ground. “Give him time,  _myshka_. He will grow out of it.”

You smile up at him. “So, what brings you out here? Were you drawn solely by Scott’s screams of suffering, or did you come looking for me?”

“Both, actually. I need to say good-bye.”

“Good-bye?” You frown. “What’s going on? Why are you leaving?”

“I am going on short mission. Investigating some mutant disappearances in nearby town.”

Suspicion starts creeping up the back of your neck. “Disappearances? Where?”

“Harmony. Is about an hour from here.”

The name sends alarm bells ringing through your mind, but you can’t place where you’ve heard it before or why the name ‘Harmony’ has you on edge.

Piotr, ever sensitive to your moods --and more than capable of reading the unsettled frown on your face--gently caresses your cheek, his metal thumb tracing a cool trail across your skin. “Don’t fret,  _lyublyu_. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

You nod and try to smile for him. “Okay, just... be careful? Please?”

“Of course. I have to come back to you, after all.”

That makes you beam up at him, and you almost kiss him right there, but the mood is quickly stifled when you realize that Wade is leaning against the tree, watching the two of you.

“Wade?” you ask, sickly sweet.

“Yes, my dearest bestie?”

You jerk your thumb in the direction of the mansion. “Scram.”

“And miss the coming good-bye kiss? Not on your life!”

“Wade, please. We would like private moment--”

“So, are you thinking just a peck on the lips, or are you going to french? Oh, I could turn the sprinklers back on and the two of you could go full Notebook--”

You look across the lawn and spy Nathan, presumably coming back from his latest round of training. You feel a slight twinge of guilt for what you’re about to subject the man to, but... “Oh, would you look at that! It’s Nathan!”

Wade lets out an excited gasp and off across the lawn like a shot, sights trained on his latest hyperfixation --Nathan Summers.

“That was quite devious of you,  _myshka_.”

“Yes. But are you really complaining?” You grin up at him and place your hands on his massive, muscular, metal chest. “Now, I like you like this as much as the next guy, but I think the ‘good-bye kiss’ Wade was talking about will be much easier if you’re just a little shorter.”

He chuckles, but obliges you nonetheless, shifting into his human form with ease.

You never tire of watching the shift between steel and flesh, watching the way the steel gives way effortlessly to his soft, pale skin --or how his “uniform” and shoes miraculously shrink with him, thanks to the fascinating work done by Dr. Hank McCoy.

Piotr smiles down at you, considerably shorter but still a giant compared to you. “Better?”

“For this? Yeah.” You roll up on your toes and press your lips against his.

Piotr’s hands press against your back, pulling you closer and deepening the kiss. “Be good,  _dorogaya moya_. I will be back in morning,” he says when he breaks the kiss.

“Did you seriously ask me to be good?” You tease.

Before Piotr can respond, Wade starts screaming.

“What?! No tongue?! Lame!”

You role your eyes, ready to flip your best friend off, when Piotr holds up his index finger.

“One moment,  _myshka_.”

You watch, confused, as Piotr stoops and picks up a baseball sized rock.

He stands, waits until Wade’s back is turned, then chucks the rock at the merc with a mouth with a grunt.

His aim is perfect. The rock bounces off the back of Wade’s head, knocking the cackling asshole flat on his stomach.

“Ow! What the fuck!”

You clap your hand over the mouth, unable to stifle the amused, ugly sounding snort that you make. You stare up at your boyfriend, amazed. “Have I been rubbing off on you?”

“Perhaps.” He leans down to kiss you once more, then sighs. “I need to go,  _dorogoy_.”

You grimace as you watch him shift into ‘defense mode’ once more. “Wait!” You grab his wrist before he can turn away and levitate yourself on an air current. You loop your arms around his neck, press a kiss on each of his metal cheeks, and drop back down. “For luck.”

He smiles down at you, heartfelt and love struck, and hugs you gently --almost gingerly. “You are all the luck I need,  _myshka_.”

You watch as he lumbers off to the jet hanger, trying to squash the sensation of foreboding growing in your stomach.

Something wasn’t sitting well with you about Colossus’s mission. You couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but you were certain that things were going to end in disaster.

You’re distracted by Wade’s indignant shouting --he’s whining at Nathan about his ‘beautiful brain suffering permanent damage’ while the older mutant just laughs at him.

_Well, no sense in obsessing over things you can’t change_. You jog across the lawn to go annoy your friend.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It’s a perfect morning. Soft, golden light from the rising sun. Birds chirping sweet, twittering songs. A gentle breeze ruffles the expansive, emerald green lawn. The sky is a perfect shade of blue and exquisitely clear.

Right now, you wish it wasn’t. Specifically, you wish it had the familiar dark shape of one of the jets --Piotr’s jet.

“Ooh, bird-watching?” Wade sidles up next to you. “I didn’t know Colossus could fly.”

“Not without a jet, he can’t.”

Wade nudges your shoulder. “Y/N.”

“Wade.”

“Breakfast. Pancakes. Inside.”

“Uh-huh.”

Wade frowns as he looks at you. “Normally, when I utter the word ‘pancakes,’ you’re trampling over me to get to wherever they are.”

You sigh and tear your gaze away from the sky to look at your best friend. “I’m worried. Piotr isn’t back yet.”

“Okay. And?”

“And? And?! He said he’d be back this morning!”

“It’s still ‘morning,’ Y/N.”

You shake your head. “When Piotr says ‘morning,’ he always means those ungodly hours before eight. It’s almost nine, and he’s still not here.”

Wade’s mouth curls into a frown --you’re right, and he knows it. “Well, he’s got an hour of travel time to work in. That might put his ‘morning’ at a more reasonable hour.”

You glare at the empty sky. Technically, Wade could be right, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that something had gone wrong.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about it.

You sigh, and force a grin for your best friend. “I believe you said something about pancakes?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

It’s three in the afternoon.

Piotr still isn’t back. In fact, no one’s heard from him at all.

Something has definitely gone deeply, horribly wrong.

You watch from the window as Scott, Logan, and Jean all file into one of the other jets. Their hunch was that the Brotherhood of Mutants had captured Colossus, and they were off to the Brotherhood’s last known whereabouts.

“Relax,” Wade says as he slings an arm around your shoulders. “They’ll find him.”

Somehow, you don’t think so. “Where are they going?”

“Brotherhood safe house twenty miles away from the area Colossus was checking out,” Nathan answers as he works on one of his many guns.

You frown.

Where had Piotr gone to again?

_Harmony. Harmony. Why do I know that name? Why does it sound so familiar?_

“He went to a town called Harmony,” you mumble. “Why do I know that name?”

“It’s a popular baby name,” Neena offers.

“Musical term,” Ellie throws in.

“General word of the English language,” Wade adds, ever determined to be unhelpful whenever possible.

You shake your head as you pull out your phone, determined to find the source of your unease. You type in ‘Harmony town’ into your phone’s search engine and tap on a search result that says “Welcome to Harmony.”

What you see almost makes you vomit from sheer horror.

_“Welcome to Harmony, the first purification settlement in North America. Founded by Walter Harmony in 1879, we honor our founder’s memory by safeguarding our home-y community from the oldest threat to mankind --mutants.”_

“What?” Wade asks as he tries to read over your shoulder. “What is it?”

“Purification town,” you stutter out. “He went to a purification town.”

Ellie’s eyes widened. “Fuck. He didn’t.”

Nathan frowns. “What’s a purification town?”

“A town that shuns mutants.” You collapse onto the window seat behind you. “I knew I recognized that name. Harmony was the first anti-mutant settlement in America. It’s considered the model example for other purification towns across the US.”

“How do you know it?” Neena asks.

You swallow hard. “Our town’s head pastor refused to adopt the ‘compound principle.’ It instructs towns to develop a base out in the middle of nowhere for... disposing of mutants.”

The room is deathly quiet as the new information sinks in.

You want to break down into tears. Your boyfriend is in a purification town, captured and probably already dead, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Wait a second...

Nothing?

_Nothing?_

You lurch to your feet and start racing out of the room.  _Fuck ‘nothing.’ Nothing won’t be ‘nothing’ until I know he’s dead_.

“Hey, where are you going?” Wade shouts.

“To find my boyfriend,” you spit out through gritted teeth.

“Not alone.”

You turn around and stare at Ellie, who’s staring back at you, arms crossed over her chest. “I can’t take you with. Piotr would kill me.”

“You’re not taking me with. I’m  _coming_  with. If Piotr gets mad, he’ll just have to live with it.”

“Ellie--”

“He’s  _my mentor_ , Y/N. I’m not just going to abandon him.”

“Okay, let me try again.  _Scott_  will kill me if I bring  _any_ of you along.”

Wade snorted. “Like I care what that prick thinks. Point stands, you’re not going alone.”

“Wade--”

“He’s right,” Ellie agrees, rolling her eyes when Wade gasps dramatically. “Scott can suck it. I’m helping.”

“Me too,” Yukio adds with a smile, interlocking her fingers with her girlfriend’s.

“I’ll help too,” Russel offers.

“Count us in too,” Neena says, gesturing between herself and Nathan.

“Oh, so I’m being volunteered?”

“Are you really going to sit here, by yourself, while we go out and rescue Colossus?”

Nathan mulls it over for a moment before answering. “No.”

You can’t help but smile at your friends, buoyed by their support of you and Piotr. “Alright. Fine. But if Scott gets mad at me, I’m implicating all of you.”

“What do we do first?” Nathan asks, ever eager to get to the fucking point.

“First, I’m going to go check out Harmony. We need to figure out where they’ve tucked away their compound.”

Wade frowns. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? We don’t want to lose another mutant.”

“Okay, show of hands. How many of you have been in a purification town before?”

Only Ellie raises her hand, along with you.

“Right. I love all of you just the way you are, but none of you are going to know how to blend in --and Ellie’s out because, well, I don’t think there’s anything we can do to disguise the short hair.”

Ellie nods. “Fair enough. Take your phone, though, so we can keep track of you.”

You nod, then turn to leave.

“Wait!” Neena shouts. “How are you going to blend in?”

“By wearing a fucking skirt!” You shout over your shoulder.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Immaculately green lawns. White picket fences. Cute houses in symmetric styles and stylish colors.

Vomit-inducing.

You’d dug out some of your old church clothes --a navy blue knee length skirt, a modest white blouse, a pair of black heels, and the best pair of nylons you owned. You’d pressed them until they were crisp and perfect, done your hair until it was perfectly curled and coiffed, and done your makeup just how your mother had taught you.

Your skin crawls as you walk up the pristine sidewalk. Everything reminds you too much of your old life, of your old home. You steel yourself and will your gut to stop churning.  _For Piotr. You can’t fail him now._

A middle aged woman dressed in a flower print dress calls to you from her lawn. “Hello! I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”

You smile and walk up to her. “I wouldn’t think so. I’m new to Harmony.”

“Ah! I thought as much! I know all the faces around here.” She extends her hand. “Priscilla Lockwood.”

“Cassidy Rasputin,” you reply, spitting out the first name that springs to mind.

“Lovely to meet you, Cassidy. What brings you to our little town?”

“Oh, I’m looking for a safe place to live. I work as a lawyer, and I just can’t stand the city life.” You barely hold back a wince as her eyes narrow.  _Shit. Right. Work excuses won’t work._  “Plus,” you blurt, “I need a bigger place so I can move my parents in with me. They’re getting up there in years, and I want to help take care of them -especially since none of the nursing homes in the area will let them stay together. Can you imagine!”

That does the trick. The disdain drains out of Priscilla’s face and is replaced by a sunny smile. “How sweet of you! They’re so lucky to have someone so caring as their daughter.”

You feign modesty. “It’s the right thing to do. Plus, I can’t stand being so far away from them, but they’re both on disability. I have to work, but I grew up in the middle of a cornfield --not much work for a lawyer there!”

“And... you can’t find a husband?”

You barely keep the bile from rising up your throat and spewing all over her hideous dress. “Oh, the work is only temporary. It was... an unfortunate necessity.” You scan the area around you --it was already empty, but you need to sell your act--and lean in to whisper conspiratorially. “Our town’s become a settlement for mutants.”

Priscilla sucks in a breath through her teeth. “Oh dear.”

“I could find a husband back home, but then his work would be there, and --well, my mother was attacked a month ago. She’s terrified to be there, and I don’t want to wait to find a man that Daddy would approve of. It’s just not safe. I already had the degree from college, and the modern world does like making a point by hiring women --and here I am.”

Priscilla nods, smirking. “Way to play them at their own game.”

_Lady, you have no fucking idea_. “I hate to mention the taboo, but... do you have a compound in Harmony? We don’t have one back home--”

The woman cuts you off with a nod. “Yes.” She glances around, then points to the left. “Two miles into the woods on the border of the town, straight in. It’s guarded day and night by shifts of twenty men. We pride ourselves on keeping the residents of Harmony safe.”

You force a relieved smile onto your face. “Wonderful. It’s just so gorgeous here, and I’m sure my mother would be willing to move once she hears it’s safe.”

Priscilla smiles back. “Actually, there’s an open house two blocks that way!” She points to the left again. “It’s three bedrooms, two bathrooms --and all one level, so it’ll be easy access for your parents.”

“That sounds perfect! I’ll go check it out!” You thank her, then start walking in the direction of the open house. You check out the house --you know better than to skip out, given how gossipy towns like this are--then cut towards the woods when no one’s looking.

You slip off your shoes and levitate yourself through the thick trees, careful to stay out of sight.

Sure enough, two miles in, you find it. A single story, square concrete building with searchlights on the roof --and men with guns guarding the perimeter.

You glare at the compound, then fly off towards the X-Mansion.  _Hang on, Piotr. We’re coming for you_.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Nathan’s voice is gruff in your earpiece. “I count ten heat signatures outside, nine more inside.”

“Either that’s standard operating procedure, or someone tattled on us,” Wade mutters next to you.

“It doesn’t matter,” you growl. “They aren’t going to know what fucking hit them.”

It was pitch black in the woods, even for the dead of night. The only light came from the blaring search lights on the top of the compound, cutting blinding swaths across the night-cloaked woods.

“How do we do this?” Ellie asks from her position on the opposite side of the compound with Cable.

“Screaming and buck ass naked,” Wade blurts.

“Fuck no,” Nathan growls.

“We need to take the guys outside down as quietly as possible,” you insist. “We can’t risk the men inside catching on and killing Piotr.”

“Does it make sense for Wade, Cable, and I to go in with silencers? Drop everyone and have Negasonic blow down the door?”

“We’ll have to revisit blowing down the door, but yeah. Drop ‘em.” You watch as Wade scuffles away from you to creep up behind the guards.

The rag tag team of gun happy assassins have the ten men down in minutes.

You jog up to the compound as Wade kicks one of the corpses in the head.

“Knock it off, dildo,” Nathan growls. “We’ve got shit to do.”

“Right. So, we let Teenage Mutant Ninja-sonic blow down the door, slice up whoever survives, free the literal Man of Steel, and make it back to Xavier’s in time to watch reruns of the Bachelor. Badda-bing, badda-bang!”

Nathan pinches the bridge of her nose. “Christ.”

You eye the door nervously. “As efficient as it would be let Ellie destroy the door, it might alert the town that something’s up.”

“Yeah, but opening it nice and leisurely like might let the doucheholes inside plug us full of bullets,” Wade argues.

“As much as I hate to agree with the walking leather kink,” Nathan grumbles. “Wade’s right. The faster, the better.”

“Ha ha! Twice in one day! I’m on a roll!”

“Shut up, fuckstick.” Ellie smacks Wade up the back of his head before walking ten feet away from the door. “Everyone stand back.”

You scramble away from the compound, rushing to cover your ears as Ellie sprints towards the door.

With one powerful burst, the door crumples and flies inward.

The responding gunfire is almost immediate.

Wade cackles like the maniac he is and dives headfirst into the compound.

You can barely make out Nathan’s “Fucking idiot.”, as he runs in after Wade, guns blazing.

There’s more gunfire, then silence, before Wade slides up to the doorway --with fewer bullet holes than you’d expected. “Cost is clear, amigos! Let’s save Mr. Buns of Steel!”

You, Neena, Ellie, Yukio, and Russel file in, all in various states of disdain and disgust over Wade’s nickname for Piotr.

The inside was surprisingly lavish, given the purpose of the building. Leather furniture, polished wood bookcases, plush rugs on the floor, and ornate paintings on the walls.

Ellie blanches as she eyes the set up. “This is disgusting. They haul people like us off in here to kill them, and they have the audacity to make it look like a luxury penthouse?”

“Welcome to bigotry,” You grumble. “Either enjoy your stay or get the fuck out.”

The space, resplendent in its luxury, is also exceedingly small --too small to hide Piotr from your line of sight, even in his human form.

“This is all of the space,” Nathan grunts. “I already checked the bathroom. Nothing.”

“No,” you whisper, desperation mounting. “There has to be something else.” You pace the floor, trying to think of something --anything.

You stop when the sound of your footsteps shift from your normal worried pacing to an echoing, hollow thud. You freeze, look at Wade, and tap your foot against where you’re standing.

“Well, hello,” Wade purrs as he cocks his head to the side. “A trapdoor. My favorite kind of porn, as it turns out.”

“Oh, god, I’m gonna puke,” Ellie groans.

“Shut up and help me move this, idiot,” Nathan snaps as he tugs at the couch sitting on the rug.

You dart back as Yukio and Russel peel up the rug, revealing a massive trap door embedded in the floor. You kneel in front of it, tugging at the handle. “You know, it’s funny we only found nineteen men.” You grunt, then hop to your feet to get better leverage. “I could’ve sworn that when I talked to Priscilla... she said they worked... in teams of... twenty!”

The door pops open with a squeak, and a man standing on a ladder points a machine gun at your face.

You shriek and summon a blast of wind, rocketing the man back down the hole and into the ground with a sickening thud.

Wade whistles as he peers down at the remnants of the guard. “I think you turned him into a puddle.”

Ellie gags. “Oh, god. No. I’m not going down there. I’ll help stand guard.”

“I’ll join you,” Nathan offers with a grimace at the pile of flesh and blood. “Shout if there’s trouble.”

You grit your teeth and follow Nathan down the ladder. You can hear him land --his boots squish in the human goo, which is a sound you  _never_ want to hear again--and utter a shocked “Holy shit.”

You use your powers to float yourself over the gelatinized guard _,_  and draw in a sharp gasp. “What the fuck?”

The basement is made out of metal and reeks of bleach. An autopsy table sits off to the side, over a drain. Saws, ice picks, and knives of all kinds hang from the walls, glinting in the glare of the overhead lights. A row of cabinets line the far wall, hanging over a counter.

You tread over the counter and eye a bottle full of viscous, dull yellow liquid. Your mouth twitches into a frown.

You know all too well what’s in that bottle.

You stuff the bottle into your pocket, then let out a gasp when you lift your gaze.

Piotr, strapped to a chair and tucked into a room hidden from plain sight.

You scramble over to him, skidding to a stop on your knees. “Piotr?”

He’s out cold, in his human form, and has definitely looked better. An ugly looking bruise adorns his right cheek, and a scabbed over, blood encrusted wound decorates his left temple.

He’s alive, though. His deep, heavy breathing is proof of that.

You slip the gag out of his mouth and press your hands against his cheeks. “Piotr, baby, wake up.”

“We found him,” Nathan says. Judging by the sigh and quiet “Jesus” that follows next, he’s talking to Wade. “No. Stop it. He’s just knocked out.”

“Come on, Pete,” you say as his eyelids flutter. “Don’t make me slap you awake. Neither of us will like that.”

His eyelids flutter once, twice --and then he opens his eyes.

You can’t help your grin. You’re shaking, you’re so relieved. “Hey, babe.”

Piotr groans and tries to move --only to find himself clamped to the chair. “Y/N? What are you doing here?”

“We came to rescue you.” You look up at Nathan. “How are things up there?”

“Good for now.”

“Good, good. I’ll get him out of the chair. Can you call Scott? I have a feeling we’re going to need back up.”

Piotr groans as he shifts in the chair. “They... injected me with something.”

You duck your head to hide your grimace. “I know, honey. Let me get you out.” You kneel next to the chair and focus your powers to grip onto the screws holding the restraints the chair.

Piotr watches you with quiet, bleary curiosity as you pull the screw out. “How do you do that?”

“Same way a screwdriver works. Air grips the edges and I twist the current to remove the screw.” You let the screws drop to the floor and lift the first restraint off his forearm. “I used to do this to take the hinges of my door when I tried to run away.”

Nathan holds his phone out to you. “Scott wants to talk to you.”

“Put it on speaker, I’m busy.”

Nathans sighs and obliges you.

“Y/N! What the  _fuck_  are you doing?”

“Scotty! You don’t sound anything like James Doohan. Disappointing.”

“Y/N.”

“So, ah, hypothetically, let’s say you were deadass wrong about the Brotherhood idea and that I found Piotr.”

“Are you fucking-- where is he? Where are you?”

“Hypothetically?”

“Fine.  _Hypothetically_ , where are you?”

“Hypothetically, I’m in the basement of a compound used to dispose of mutants, two miles into the woods outside of Harmony, an advertised purification town.” You can hear him grind his teeth together. “We’re about twenty miles away from you. Hypothetically.”

Piotr chuckles weakly at your antics. “ _Myshka_. Be nice.”

You wiggle the last brace, but it’s firmly stuck. “So, hypothetically, if we needed your hypothetical help, would be able to help us? Hypothetically?”

“I really hate you,” Scott seethes.

“The feeling is one hundred percent mutual,” you chirp back. “Nathan, this one’s stuck. I need you to rip it off.” You take the phone from Nathan and step out of the way. “Are you in or out?”

“What, no hypothetical?”

“Eh, I’d rather be literally right than hypothetically right.”

“We’ll be there in ten minutes.  _Be ready_.”

Nathan rips the last restraint off with a grunt, then plucks the phone out of your hand. “We’ll be ready.”

You dive into Piotr’s arms, burying your face in his shoulder. “I thought you were dead.”

Piotr doesn’t answer you. Instead, he tilts your head up and presses his lips against yours.

His lips are rough, chapped, and dry, but you melt into the kiss anyway, relieved beyond words that he’s safe.

Nathan clasps your shoulder. “The reunion makeout can wait. We need to get out of here.”

Piotr breaks the kiss, smiling weakly at your disgruntled whine of protest. “ _Da._  We should go.” He tries to stand, then nearly falls over.

You and Nathan catch him. “Hey, are you okay?”

Piotr grimaces. “My head is... cloudy.”

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to get him up the ladder,” Nathan says.

“I think I have a way around that,” You say.

 

 

* * *

 

 

You manage to lift Piotr up to the main floor of the compound with your powers. Ellie actually hugs him, shocking everyone.

“Aw, Sabrina the Teenage Negasonic Witch actually has a heart,” Wade coos.

Ellie punches him. “Shut up, dumbass.”

“Language, Ellie,” Piotr admonishes as Wade keels over, groaning about bullet wounds and punches. He frowns at Yukio and Russel. “You two should be at mansion.”

“I tried to tell them, but they insisted.” You help Piotr to his feet, steadying him. “You’ve got a lot of people that care about you, big guy.”

For a moment, the air seems to be filled with the soft, happy echo of reunion. The mood, unfortunately, is quickly dashed by the sounds of men shouting.

“Wuh-oh. Looks like we’ve got company,” Wade says as he peers out the doorway. “Armor up, Chrome Dome! We’ve got a fight coming!”

“He’s not going to be able to,” you interject. “He’s... too out of it.”

Piotr groans as he tries to move. “I am not well enough to fight.”

“Then we’ll have to outrun them,” Neena says. “Make it to the jet before they reach us.” She picks up her gun and grins. “Are we feeling lucky, punks?” She pauses, then glares at Wade. “Dammit, you have me doing it now.”

“We’ll have to be.” Nathan steps up to Colossus and puts an arm around him. “I’ll help him walk. We need you to have both hands free so you can use your powers.”

You reluctantly let go of your boyfriend and nod at Neena. “Let’s go. We’re sitting ducks in here.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The retreat through the woods is tense, but uneventful --right up until the end.

There’s a shout, and then a blast of gunfire.

“We’re almost at the edge! Run for it!” Neena shouts.

As you make it the fringes, there’s a familiar rumble over head.

The jet lands right outside the woods, straight in your path. The ramp lowers, and Logan descends halfway. “Everyone on!”

You sprint to the base of the ramp, then stop to make sure everyone else gets on. You wait until Piotr and Nathan make it up, then move to follow.

A hand latches onto your arm, yanking you back. “Not so fast, mutie!”

You struggle against the guard’s tight grip. You whip your head around and realize that the others are close behind. “Go!” you shout. “I’ll catch up! Meet me at the clearing!”

Piotr lunges for you, arms outstretched as the jet takes off. “ _Nyet_!”

You force the guard off you and take off at a dead sprint, using your abilities to propel you forwards. You make it halfway down the road before you hear the rumble of an engine. You look behind you and realize that some of the guards are chasing you on motorcycles. “Shit!”

“What’s going on?” Wade’s voice is loud in your ear, almost panicky.

“They’ve got motorcycles!”

“Can you outrun them?”

“I’m not Pietro Maximoff!” Still, you sprint faster, desperate to stay ahead of your pursuers. You were almost at the end of the road, almost to the clearing--

Lights flash on --headlights, belonging to dozens of cars.

Your eyes widen. “I’m blocked off!” You whip your gaze up at the jet. “I’m going to have to jump!”

“She’s jumping!” Wade shouts at someone. “Get the door open, you motherfucking idiot!”

The jet roars ahead, hangar door opening as it blew past the cars.

You run until the last second, then launch yourself off the ground, creating a gust of wind to propel you over the cars and into the air. You sail towards the jet --you can see Piotr inside, being held back by Ellie, reaching out to you, and--

You’re short.

You can see the look of horror on Piotr’s face as you fall, plummeting towards the ground. You open your mouth to scream--

An unseen hand grabs you, lifting you up and yanking you back to the jet. You fly into the hangar and slam into Nathan, bouncing off him and tumbling onto the floor.

You lay there for a moment, stunned. As your wits come back to you, you begin to register your surroundings.

The hangar door is closing, the jet is moving faster now, and--

“Sit down, fuck!”

Ellie. Yelling at Piotr, presumably.

You’re hauled to your feet and shoved into his arms.

“Here! Now stay in your seat, you idiot! You have a fucking head injury!”

Piotr’s arms wind around you, more clinging to you than holding you to him. He’s shaking, and is murmuring something in desperate, panicked Russian.

You lean against him with a sigh and press a kiss against his neck. “I’m alright, Piotr. I’m okay.”

“ _Bozhe moi_ , I almost lost you.”

“Yeah, well, now we’re even.”

He presses his forehead against the top of your head. “Not funny,  _myshka_. Not even close.”

“I wasn’t trying to be.” The sound of a foot tapping draws your attention, and you look over to see Scott staring at you, arms crossed over his chest.

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

Normally, you’d just roll your eyes or make a snarky comment, but you’re not in the mood for his self-righteous bitching. You almost died. Piotr almost died.

You stand, march over to Scott, and punch him in the nose.

Scott doubles over. “Ow! The fuck was that for?”

“For a lot of things --most of which involve you being a massive tool--but especially for letting my boyfriend investigate a fucking purification town all by himself! He almost died!”

“The fuck is a purification town?” Scott grumbles.

“Are you serious?” Ellie snaps.

You throw up your hands. “Okay, clearly I have some educating to do.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“They’re anti-mutant communities. Some are run by Church denominations that view mutants as abominations to God’s creation. Others are led by political groups that have anti-mutant platforms.”

You’re all crowded into Piotr’s room in the infirmary --you, Wade, Nathan, Neena, Ellie, Yukio, Russel, Jean, Logan, Scott, and the Professor. You’re sitting next to Piotr on his bed, while the others have taken up various posts around the room.

“Some are like Harmony --they capture whatever mutants they find and kill them.”

Jean shudders. “You’ve got to be kidding. No one hates us that much.”

“There was an entire autopsy room underneath the compound,” Nathan says.

“I’d imagine, if we dug around in the woods, we’d find hundred of remains out there,” you muse. “Some purification towns are more laid back --they simply expel mutants from their community, usually ship them off to boarding school or the military.”

“Like the place where I grew up,” Ellie interjects.

You nod. “Harmony is the oldest and largest purification town. They set the tone for all the other purification towns and distribute... ways of getting rid of mutants.” You fish the bottle out of your pocket and hand it over to the Professor. “This is what they injected Piotr with. It’ll disable his mutation for a couple days.”

“And you know this how?” the Professor asks as he examines the bottle.

You swallow hard. “My parents used to inject the stuff into me before we went to Church... so I didn’t have an episode while we were in public.”

Piotr’s hand tightens around yours.

“I see.” The Professor hands the bottle off to Jean for safekeeping, then sighs. “I think Mr. Rasputin --and the rest of us--could do with some rest.”

You watch as the others file out of the room, then drop your head against Piotr’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

He kisses the top of your head. “Me too,  _myshka_.” He’s quiet for a moment, then in a soft, hesitant voice asks, “Will you stay with me tonight?”

You smile up at him. “Can I shower off first?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll be back in a bit.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

He’d been asleep when you’d gotten back. Instead of waking him up, you’d opted to set your pillow and blanket on the couch and do a bit of drawing to settle your nerves.

You're nowhere near the artist Piotr is, but that doesn’t stop you from trying. You’re doing your best to draw him, resting in the bed, but you can’t seem to capture the beauty of the man in front of you the way you want to.

You’re so caught up in trying to nail his features --brow furrowing as you draw, erase, and draw again--that you don’t realize he’s woken up until he chuckles.

“You look very focused,  _myshka_.”

Your head jerks up and you pout at the amused expression on his face. “This pencil is a traitor. It keeps messing me up.”

He smiles and holds out his hand. “May I see?”

You walk over to the bed and hand him your sketchpad, groaning as he smiles down at your pathetic --if determined--scribbles. “Admit it. It’s horrible.”

“On the contrary,  _dorogaya moya_ , it’s very good.”

You sit down next to him. “Thank you for lying to spare my feelings.”

“I am not lying,  _myshka_ ,” he says with a laugh. “It is very good. Your proportions and perspective are almost spot on.”

You can’t help but preen at his praise. “Well, if you insist. I can’t get the details, though! I always screw them up!”

“Well, some of that comes with time.” He taps at the page. “You need to use lighter hand, keep wrist relaxed. Part of your problem is you press too hard.”

You glower at the page. “I’d relax more if I could get the details right.”

“I think an ‘H’ pencil would suit you. It is harder lead, won’t get as dark. You press so hard you deposit more graphite than you need. Then, when you erase, it smears.”

“Ha!” You point at the pencil, still in your hand. “I knew you were a traitor!”

Piotr laughs. “Well, perhaps something other than Wade’s ‘Hello Kitty’ pencil would be better.” He plucks the pencil out of your hand, runs the pad of his thumb over the eraser, and grimaces. “And better eraser, too.  _Bozhe moi_ , this feels like shit.”

You feign shock as he sets your sketchpad and Wade’s pencil on the table next to his bed. “Piotr! Language! Think of the children!”

He rolls his eyes and smiles at you. “Come here,  _myshka_.”

You let him pull you against his chest and press your lips against his. “I love you so much,” you murmur against his lips.

“I love you, too.” He tilts his head back so he can look you in the eye. “How did you find me?”

“I snuck into Harmony, pretending to be an anti-mutant sympathizer looking for a new home for me and my ailing parents.”

Piotr lets out an incredulous laugh. “ _Bozhe moi!_  Are you serious,  _myshka_?” When you nod, he sobers. “That was dangerous. If someone remembers you --your name--”

“I used a fake name!” You freeze as you recall  _exactly_  what your fake name had been and go red in the face.

Piotr raises an eyebrow at you. “Go on.”

You straighten up and cross your arms over your chest. “Cassidy.”

“Mhm. And did ‘Cassidy’ have last name?”

Your bravado falters and you duck your head. “...Rasputin.” When Piotr doesn’t say anything, you peek up at him.

He’s smiling shyly to himself, cheeks flushed. When you place your hand on his, he looks up at you. “I think... I think I like Y/N better.”

“I have to agree with that.” You swing your legs back and forth, then grin at him. “But... Y/N Rasputin does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

He stares at you, blue eyes wide with awe and cheeks flushed bright red. Then, he smiles --more than a little bashful--and nods. “ _Da_. It does.”

You kiss him softly. “Something for down the road, perhaps?”

“If... if you want to.”

“Piotr... I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t want it.”

He presses you against him and kisses you --not hard, he’s never forceful with you--with passion and excitement. “ _Bozhe moi_ , I am a lucky man.”

You smile at him and kiss his cheek. “And I am a lucky woman.” As nice as kissing him was, you could tell he was tired from the past couple days. “You should rest. We can talk more in the morning.”

He nods. “ _Da_.”

You’re about to get up when Piotr holds you tighter to him, keeping you at his side. You look up at him, confused.

His face flushes --again--and he flounders. “I-- if you--”

You smile at him as you put together what he wants to ask. “I’ll need my blanket. The one on this bed isn’t big enough for the both of us.”

He smiles back and lets you get up.

You walk over the couch to pick up your blanket. All at once, the weight of the day --of what nearly happened--hits you, and you sigh.

“What is it,  _lyublyu_?”

“I was right.” You glance at him over your shoulder. “Your mission went wrong.”

“I was right, also.” He smiles when you frown in confusion. “You were all the luck I needed.”

That eeks a small smile out of you. You climb back into bed with him, nestling against him and tucking your blanket around you.

It’s easy to fall asleep like that, safe and warm together.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Epilogue:

You poke your head into Piotr’s room. “Hey!”

“ _Myshka_!” He’s sitting at his desk, drawing something in one of his many sketch pads. “What can I do for you?”

You close your door behind you. “I realized something this morning.”

“ _Da_?”

You pluck his sketchpad and pencil out of his hands --taking time to admire his latest work--and carefully deposit both items on his desk before crawling into his lap. “We never got to finish our ‘reunion makeout’ last night.”

“Well.” He places his hands on your hips and flashes you that crooked grin you love so much. “We can’t have that.”

You giggle and lean in to kiss him.


End file.
